“Chaos, wasn’t it?” - Alan Shearer and Micah Richards question Chelsea over ‘massive’ decision ahead of next season
Former Newcastle forward Alan Shearer and ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards were left confused after Chelsea fired Mauricio Pochettino upon the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. They questioned the decision on the Rest Is Football podcast alongside Gary Lineker.
A horrendous start to the season saw Chelsea languishing in 10th place for most of the campaign. However, Pochettino inspired his side to bounce back, finishing in sixth place to secure Europa Conference League qualification.
In his lone season at Chelsea, Pochettino won 27 games, drew 10, and lost 14, with his side scoring 107 goals and conceding 76. The likes of Conor Gallagher, Malo Gusto, and Cole Palmer transformed into star players under his guidance.
Besides the sixth-placed league finish and incredible player developments, he led Chelsea to the Carabao Cup final (1-0 loss to Liverpool) and an FA Cup semifinal (1-0 loss to Manchester City).
Yet, it seemingly wasn't enough for the Argentine to retain the role he took over just 11 months ago. Owner Todd Boehly announced that the Blues had parted ways with their manager just two days after the 2023-24 season ended (May 21).
The decision has surprised many football fans and pundits alike, including Shearer and Richards.
"It’s a massive surprise that Pochettino loses his job for whatever reason," Shearer said.
Richards then added:
"Chaos, wasn’t it? Chaotic at Chelsea. Flabbergasted that the manager has left. We’ve talked about it many times and how good we think he is."
"It's just making money" - Former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit tears into owner Todd Boehly for firing Mauricio Pochettino
Former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit lambasted club owner Todd Boehly for firing Mauricio Pochettino even after he led them to a solid sixth-place finish in the Premier League.
The Dutchman was player-manager at Chelsea for 81 games from 1996 to 1998. He scored seven goals in 64 appearances for the Blues across three seasons and retired from his playing career at the club in 1998.
Gullit claimed that Chelsea had turned into a 'very strange club' and couldn't believe the way Boehly was running the administration. In a recent interview, the 1987 Ballon d'Or winner claimed (via TeamTALK):
“If you don’t perform at Chelsea, you are immediately out. That is still the case. That was already the case in my time under Ken Bates. I still think it is a very strange club, it also happened to Carlo Ancelotti. Pochettino was in a difficult position, he knew that. And he actually managed to squeeze out a reasonable performance, although it was not great."
"During my period I still had the feeling: this is a football club. There was another thought behind it, with Roman Abramovich. But if you look now: you can’t really identify with that, can you? It seems like a business model; it’s just making money," he added.